Should a computer/laptop be on stage?

I mean as a part of performing. For me, no! And I voted for that.

Backing CD when I am alone is most preferrable for me. When I played together with Hajo Liese and Till Kopper, there 6 hands on keys and we missed a 7nd one to control the CD-player, let alone a computer.

I'm with you on this one, Steve.

For me it makes no difference what gear is used on stage, as long as the music is good. I once saw a gig by a vague aquaintance of mine under the Budha Building moniker. His music is cool, and the performance I saw was top notch. All he used was a laptop for real-time track editing, thus changing the general direction of his music. He was switching between tracks, adding, muting, FX tweaking, you name it. All improvised on the spot. I had a blast, and so did the rest of the audience.

I will admit that a large analog modular is better looking on stage, but most PA systems will reveal hardly any difference between a "real" hands on synth and a good recording of it on a laptop.

Therefore I voted "...as long as it doesn't break down". Which is a pain every time it happens, and even "real" gear has it's unglorious moments of total failure, leaving the artist in an uncomfortable silence and utter despair... not a pretty sight... ops:

I personally don't care that much. I've never performed without my old laptop, although it's more of an easy graphical user interface to quickly choose the midi channels. So I can see what sound is at what midi channel...nothing more actually. You all think I'm probably an old fart who doesn't remember his sounds. Well I'm not that old but you're right about the remembering. ops:
30 minutes for a sound check/setup gives us the chills...
Unpacking it all is 30 minutes alone.

Soundcheck? Whats that? LOL

I rarely bother soundchecking - as long as it makes a noise.

30 minutes is a long time on a festival bill. You're lucky to get 10 and if you need more, it's your playing time...also you might get fined. What you do is setup off-stage and carry it on. One noise fest i played at we had a massive rig. 5 mixers and 50+ effects pedals alone. We had 100s of cables with labels on with the names of the people we'd borrowed them from! Up and running in 12 minutes.